VERMONT AGRICULTURAL REPORT. 53 



form. With this end in view the Department has made careful 

 inquiries into the conditions of the markets of Europe and Asia 

 and has sent agents to those countries to introduce our products 

 to the consumers there. From the information thus obtained 

 we are satisfied that good markets can be obtained for any sur- 

 plus that we are likely to produce. 



Reliable crop reports are very important to farmers. They 

 should know, without depending upon commercial agencies, 

 something about the crops in their own country and in other 

 countries in competition with them, in order that they may 

 judge of the probable prices for their surplus. The Depart- 

 ment is undertaking to do this work in an intelligent manner, 

 and we think we are succeeding. 



We believe that the farmers have suffered from unjust dis- 

 crimination against our products in some foreign countries, and 

 that the claim made by those countries that these products are not 

 healthy or safe for human consumption is simply an effort to prevent 

 them from coming into competition with the home producers. 

 The Department has therefore asked for legislation authorizing an 

 examination of foreign products shipped to this country with a view, 

 if this policy is continued abroad, of adopting some effective 

 measures to put a stop to these efforts to exclude our products 

 on false grounds. 



In the Division of Botany attention is being given to many 

 things that will prove beneficial to the farmer. Through their 

 efforts chicory-growing has been encouraged so that the farmers 

 of the western states are now able to produce all of that article 

 we need, whereas in 1896 we imported 16,317,888 pounds. 



The Division of Entomology has been quite successful in 

 discovering means for checking the ravages of insects which an- 

 nually do damage to our crops. The gypsy moth, the Mexican 

 cotton-boll weevil, the chinch bug, the Hessian fly and the San 

 Jose scale are some of the insect pests which have received special 

 attention. 



The Division of Pomology of our Department is accomplish- 

 ing much good work, and is ready at all times to render assistance 

 to the fruit-growers of the country. 



Experiments made under the direction of the Department in 

 the raising of sugar beets have clearly demonstrated that we can 

 produce at home all the sugar needed by our people. 



The Department is co-operating earnestly with agricultural ex- 

 periment stations, agricultural colleges and all agricultural associ- 

 ations having for their object the advancement of the interests of 

 agriculture. The farmer is often forced to compete with adulter- 

 ated and imitation articles sold as the genuine products of the 

 farm. Some legislation has already been secured for the pro- 

 tection of the honest producer, and the influence of the Depart- 



